


The Ghost

by notgeorgelucas



Series: Life on Air Temple Island [20]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 06:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11202426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notgeorgelucas/pseuds/notgeorgelucas
Summary: It's a normal day on Air Temple Island. Pema is cooking breakfast, Tenzin and the children are meditating, and the acolyte Machiko is sweeping the main staircase......except Machiko died a week ago on those very stairs.





	The Ghost

“Boss? Could you come out here?” Ryoko called from the courtyard.

Pema glanced up from her breakfast preparations.  “What is it, Ryoko?” she called from the kitchen. “I’m trying to get things ready before everyone returns from morning meditation. Did you get Kuruk’s fish bucket?”

“Boss, I would **_really_ ** appreciate it if you came out here… ** _right now_**.” There was an odd edge to the acolyte’s voice that gave Pema pause. Sighing, she set down her knife and moved the wok off the burner. “What is it?” she asked in a slightly irked tone. “Ryoko, you know what they’re like when they’re hungry and breakfast isn’t on the table…”

Ryoko was standing by the doorway, an unclaimed bucket of fish scraps beside her. Pema glanced around, wondering where her polar bear dog was. Usually Kuruk would be dancing around wildly in anticipation of his morning meal. “Boss, take a look at the staircase, will you?”

Pema squinted and shook her head. “What? I’m not seeing anything, just Machiko sweeping the stairs. That’s nothing unusu…oh.”

“Yeah,” Ryoko nodded. “Considering she died last week, I’d say that’s just a **_bit_** unusual.”

****

Tenzin frowned and stroked his goatee. “I don’t recall seeing her prior to today,” he mused. “Ryoko?”

The acolyte shook her head. “I come up those steps every morning with Kuruk’s breakfast. This is the first time I’ve seen her since she slipped and broke her neck.”

“Is that a real ghost, Daddy?” Ikki breathed excitedly. “Is she going to haunt us and attack us with the forces of the undead? Is she going to turn us all into zombies? Is she?”

“I don’t think so,” Tenzin said, shaking his head. “Jinora, do you sense anything?”

“Not really,” his eldest daughter replied. “If anything, she’s kind of a null zone, and that’s weird. Spirits usually manifest with some sort of aura.”  

“Tenzin, I need you in the bedroom,” Pema called tightly. He arrived to find their bed standing at a forty-five degree angle to the floor due to an oversized polar bear dog trying desperately to burrow underneath it. “I can’t get him to move,” Pema pleaded. “He just keeps whimpering and trembling. Don’t you want your breakfast, sweet boy?” she continued, trying to comfort the terrified animal.  “Come on, Kuruk—be Mama’s good boy.”

“What’s he going to do when he has to pee?” Meelo asked.

“I’d rather not think about that just now,” Tenzin replied, shaking his head as he returned to the courtyard, his family in tow.

Bumi was standing by the stairs, watching as Machiko continued her labors. “Hey Tenzin,” he said quietly. “You remember that time Dad found the ghost in the library?”

“Zhiyuan, wasn’t it? If I recall correctly, he’d died there one winter morning. Jira found him sitting in his favorite chair with a book in his hands a week or so later.”

“Yeah. And you remember how Dad tried everything he could think of to make the ghost leave, because no one could stand going in there for more than a minute before getting the creeps?” Bumi chuckled to himself. “Mom finally went in there and got rid of him somehow.”

“She never told us what she’d done,” Tenzin said, smiling at the memory. “Kya always claimed that she frightened the ghost away. Given Mother…” He turned around abruptly. “Pema? Where are you going?”

“I’m going to talk to Machiko,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Boss, don’t,” Ryoko warned. “You’re not supposed to interact with the dead. Bad things happen.”

“Now where did you hear that?” Pema chided. “She’s dead. What can she possibly do to me?”

“My auntie told me stories when I was a kid…” Ryoko said, shuddering slightly.

“Were they good ones?” Meelo asked hopefully.

****

“Good morning, Machiko.”

“Good morning, Mistress Pema,” the ghost replied warmly. She hummed to herself as her broom danced across the stone step in a smooth back-and-forth motion.

“You are doing a beautiful job,” Pema offered.

“Oh, thank you. It’s important to keep the stairs clean. If they get too messy with wet leaves and things, someone could get hurt.” She descended to the next step.

Pema nodded. “That’s very true. You know, someone was very badly hurt around here just last week.”

“That’s why it’s important to keep them clean.”

“Machiko.” Pema took a deep breath. “That person was you.”

“Oh no, that isn’t true,” Machiko said, shaking her head. Her eyes remained lock on the swish-swish of the broom on the steps.

“Yes, it is,” Pema gently pressed. “You were cleaning the stairs, just like you are now…but you slipped and fell. You broke your neck, dear.”

“I have to clean the steps,” Machiko replied calmly.

“I know this is important to you, but dear…you’re dead. You don’t belong here. You should move on.”

“I don’t want to,” Machiko said absently. “I love it here. Why would I ever want to leave? Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean the steps.”

Pema considered several responses, then nodded with a soft sigh. “I understand completely. Please continue your hard work.”

“I will, Mistress Pema. Thank you.”

****

“Well, I’m open to suggestions,” Tenzin said after Pema’s accounting.

“We could just leave her alone and let her work,” Ikki offered. “I mean, having a ghost around here would be really neat!”

“Ask Kuruk about that,” Kya suggested. “And have you noticed the lemurs are nowhere to be seen?”

“We could always call Mom and ask her about Zhiyuan,” Bumi mused. “Of course, there’s no telling if she’s home or in the Fire Nation visiting Zuko.”

“I can call Izumi and find out,” Kya offered. “She’d know better than anyone.”

“How about Korra?” Meelo jumped in. “Couldn’t she do that mystical stuff that calms the spirits down?”

“That’s manipulating spirit energy,” Jinora corrected him. “This is something entirely different. Although,” she conceded after a moment, “you never know, it might work…”

“Wait. What’s that?” Tenzin raised a hand for silence; a loud, familiar voice could be heard from below. “Is that Lin? What the blazes is she doing?”

“Yelling, sounds like,” Bumi commented.

*****

“I don’t care if Raiko needs to see Tenzin as soon as possible, I don’t care if no one’s answering the phone, I’m the damned Chief of Police, not his glorified gofer,” Lin Beifong muttered darkly as she ascended the steps two at a time. She was so focused on her tirade that she barely made notice of the acolyte carefully sweeping the steps clean…at least for a minute or so.

“Please don’t rush up the stairs,” Machiko suggested. “You could slip and hurt yourself.”

“Listen, honey, I was going up and down these steps before you were even…wait.”Lin slowly turned around. “You’re that Machiko, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. I’m cleaning the steps.”

Lin’s eyes narrowed. “The Machiko who slipped on these stairs last week and broke her neck?”

“You must be mistaken,” Machiko noted quietly, her eyes never leaving her work.

“You know,” Lin said after a moment, “I brought the coroner here myself and took your body to the morgue. Trust me, I’d remember.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.” Swish-swish went the broom. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to clean the steps. It’s very important to keep them clean and safe.”

“For crying out loud, you shouldn’t be here!” Lin cried out, exasperated. “You should go to…I don’t know, wherever dead acolytes go! “

 “Please excuse me, I need to work.”

“THE DEAD DON’T WORK, DAMMIT! THE DEAD….DON’T DO ANYTHING!” Lin’s face was bright red.

“Please excuse me,” Machiko nodded. Lin struggled to contain her frustration for a minute or so before deciding to head up to the house and give Tenzin an earful. At least **he’d** argue back.

****

“Tenzin, what the hell?” Lin declared. “What is she…THAT…doing here?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Tenzin shrugged. “And as to how we can remove her…I’m afraid we’re at a loss there, as well.”

“You could always yell at her some more,” Ryoko smirked. “That was fun to watch.”

“Hey, throw some rocks at her,” Meelo declared. “Maybe they’ll go right through her! That would be awesome!”

“Look,” Pema suggested. “Let’s all go back to the house, call Korra and see if there’s anything she can do. Machiko’s not hurting anything…” A loud, plaintive howl drifted from the master bedroom. “Much,” she added with a rueful smile.

*****

“Huh.” Korra stared down at Machiko as the dead acolyte continued her labors. “This is a new one, I have to admit. That’s all she does, just sweep the steps from top to bottom and back?”

“I’m afraid so,” Tenzin nodded. “We were wondering if you could attempt to pacify her spirit with the water ritual. Admittedly, it’s a long shot, but it does trouble me that her spirit is tarrying here instead of moving on.”

“Nah,” Korra said, shaking her head and frowning, “I’m not sensing any kind of an aura from her. I doubt it’d do any good. Has anyone talked to her?”

“Pema and Lin. She was polite but very much focused on her task.”

 “Hey, Korra!” Kya called from the residence. “Mom wants to talk to you!”

*****

Korra sat down on a step and waited. “Hey, Machiko,” she said as the ghost finally reached her level. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well, Avatar. I’m cleaning the stairs. It’s very important.”

“I know,” Korra nodded. “I’ve always thought these steps were trouble, especially when it rains or snows. You could easily slip and lose your footing and end up hurting yourself.”

“That’s why I’m cleaning them,” the ghost replied. “It’s important to be safe.”

“How long have you been an acolyte, Machiko?”

“Oh, I was born here,” she answered, eyes still focused on the steps. “My parents came here shortly after Avatar Aang built the island. I’m the youngest of five children.”

“Wow,” Korra declared. “I kind of envy you. I was stuck down south for the longest time before I came here. You got to experience all this peace and harmony every day of your life.”

“It’s a wonderful place,” Machiko nodded. “I never want to leave it.” She descended to the next step, broom still swishing right and left.

“But you know,” Korra continued, “you’re right about one thing. These steps can be dangerous, especially in bad weather. I was telling Tenzin earlier that he ought to install some railings on either side so people had something to steady themselves with.” She grinned. “And guess what? He actually agreed with me! Who’d have thought?”

Machiko paused for a long moment. “That would be a very good idea,” she said softly.

“Well, you know what? No time like the present!” Korra stood up and assumed her earthbending stance. Stone columns suddenly ascended on either side of the staircase, rolling all the way up to the top. “Not bad, if I say so myself.”

Machiko stared at the brand-new railings. “They’re very nice, Avatar Korra.”

“You call that a railing?” Lin Beifong snorted as she joined them. “Look at this! You can’t wrap your hand around anything for a decent grip! How’s that going to keep anyone safe? Here…” With one gesture she compressed the top of the railings into tight, smaller rows. “There. THAT’S more like it.”

“Okay. I’ll concede that is better,” Korra agreed with a grin. “Leave it to a Beifong.”

“Damn straight.” Lin turned toward Machiko. “What do you think?”

The ghost had stopped sweeping and was now smiling gently at the two women. “I think…I’m finished now.” She slowly faded into thin air, still smiling. “Thank you.”

Korra bowed her head and clasped her hands. “Go in peace.” To her surprise she noticed Lin making the same gesture.

“Not one word, Avatar,” she responded quietly. “Not one word.”

****

“Well, I’m grateful that we were able to resolve the situation,” Tenzin said as he accepted a cup of tea from Pema. “Things seem to have settled back to normal.”

“Dad, Dad!” Ikki exclaimed, rushing into the dining room with Meelo close behind. “We think Kuruk’s setting a record for his longest pee ever! He’s STILL GOING!”

“And the lemurs are back, too!” Meelo yelled happily. “They’re flying all around the place!”

“’Normal’, huh?” Lin snickered from behind her cup.

“Such as it is,” Tenzin conceded. “Thanks again, Korra, for all your help. And you too, Lin.”

“Hey Korra, while we’re on the subject,” Bumi interjected, “just what did Mom say to you over the phone? How did she get rid of Zhiyuan?”

Korra chuckled. “She didn’t, actually. She just stood there and let him finish his book in peace. He set it down on the table, smiled at her and faded away. I guess sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.” She stood up and stretched. “At any rate, I need to get home before the girls get back from school.  Last thing we need is the two of them running around unsupervised.”

“Such as prank calling Raiko six times?” Lin commented.

“I know, I know,” Korra sighed. “I go outside for **ten minutes** to check on Naga, and….”

Lin chuckled. “The best part was that the next time the phone rang, he grabbed the receiver and gave the caller a piece of his mind. I hear Izumi was a bit piqued about that.”

“Oh dear,” Pema giggled.

“They keep us busy,” Korra nodded.

“A mother’s work is never done,” Pema smiled.

“Tell me about it,” Korra nodded. “Take care, everyone.”

*****

Korra descended the stairs one at a time, her right hand resting on the new railing. At the final step she paused and made a slight indentation in the stonework, then jammed a small candle in the center. She’d asked Pema for one before she left, and the older woman had been happy to oblige.

 With a small flick of her finger Korra sent a trickle of flame over to the candle and lit it. “Take care, Machiko,” she said quietly. “And thank you once again.”


End file.
